An attractive hairstyle is nowadays generally regarded as being an indispensable part of a groomed appearance. In this connection, current fashion trends mean that time and again hairstyles which are considered chic are those which, for many types of hair, can only be formed or maintained for a relatively long period using certain setting active ingredients.
For these reasons, for some time use has sometimes been made of haircare cosmetics which are intended to be washed out of the hair again following contact, and sometimes of those which are intended to remain in the hair. The latter can be formulated such that they serve not only to care for individual hairs, but also improve the appearance of the hairstyle overall, for example by imparting more fullness to the hair, fixing the hairstyle over a relatively long period or improving its ability to be styled.
The property of fullness is attributed to a hairstyle, for example, when, following treatment, the hair does not lie flat on the scalp and can be easily styled.
The property of volume is attributed to a hairstyle, for example, when, following treatment, the hair has fullness and bounce.
The property of body is attributed to a hairstyle, for example, when the hair retains its volume even under disruptive external influences.
Setting active ingredients, which are usually polymeric compounds, can be incorporated into customary hair cleansers or conditioners. In many cases it is, however, advantageous to apply them in the form of specific products such as hair setting compositions or hair sprays.
There have recently been a number of developments in the hair cosmetics field which have created a need for new types of setting active ingredients and new types of formulation. Many of these developments are based not on performance disadvantages or shortcomings of known compositions, but, for example, on environmental protection viewpoints, legal provisions or other “non-technical” reasons.
For example, efforts are increasing in particular to change over from compositions based on volatile organic compounds (abbreviation: VOCs), e.g. alcohols, to water-based compositions.
However, the prior art lacks active ingredients (polymers) and preparations which conform to the requirements given above. For example, the preparations of the prior art which fix hairstyles generally comprise constituents (synthetic or natural polymers) which run the risk, in cases where readily volatile organic constituents are partially or completely replaced by water, of experiencing significant impairment of the product properties, which often has to be compensated for by clever formulation. In addition, the fixing preparations of the prior art are frequently distinguished by formulation constituents which have insufficient long-term stability and which can only be formulated with difficulty or in a complex manner, this applying in particular to silicone derivatives, which are used to improve the flexibility and tactility of the polymer film surface.